Salma, who manages the City of Richmond’s e‑bike program, told the Richmond Rising stakeholder committee on Dec. 3 that the program has reduced theft and vandalism after updating operations and adding staff.

"We have seen a significant reduction in theft and vandalism since updating our operations and hiring more staff," Salma said, describing operational improvements and continued maintenance work. Moderator and staff reported the project has 70 bikes and eight hubs in the project area and that the team completed recent invoicing and progress reporting.

During public questions, a community member asked whether vandalism had declined; Salma repeated that operational changes had helped lower incidents, and she invited further questions about program sign‑up and maintenance.

Separately, the moderator outlined a displacement avoidance initiative: a façade improvement pilot that incorporated business outreach feedback and is now in final legal review. The pilot is scheduled to launch at the end of the month and will offer up to $15,000 per business for façade improvements. The moderator clarified that businesses need not own the building to receive funding, but they must obtain the property owner’s signature to participate.

Program staff encouraged businesses and residents to attend upcoming outreach events and workshops and to contact project leads with questions about eligibility and next steps. Because the stakeholder committee lacked a quorum the meeting did not take formal action on either the e‑bike operations or the façade pilot.